New Delhi, May 2 (UNI) A day after United Nations Security Council (UNSC) put Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar on sanction list, India on Thursday said that the onus is now on Pakistan to ensure effective implementation of the decision of the powerful world body organ against the individual.
"Pakistan and other countries are now basically required to take three steps - first - freeze the funds and other financial assets of Masood Azhar, second - travel ban and third the arms embargo to prevent direct or indirect supply of arms to the individual," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters here.
"Now, Pakistan is responsible to the international community to take such actions as demanded by the UN Sanction Committee," he said.
The MEA spokesman maintained that India has always been insisting that Pakistan should fulfill its international commitment by "taking credible and verifiable actions" against terrorists and terror groups operating from areas in Pakistan control.
To a question on whether New Delhi has struck any deal with Beijing to force China to reverse its earlier stand and withdraw the veto or technical hold, Mr Kumar said, "Let me make it very very clear that we do not negotiate with any country on terrorism and on matters related to security of the country".
He made it crystal clear that since 2009 itself when India first took up the issue of getting UN ban on Masood Azhar, India's stand has been for designating Masood Azhar as a terrorist.
"The designation is not based on a specific incident (read terror strike)," he said to a question that the Pulwama reference was dropped.
However, he said the Indian government has shared related details and evidence with the members of the UNSC "linking Masood Azhar to several acts of terrorism".
"The notification by UNSC actually broadly covers all terror activities which Masood Azhar has been involved," he remarked.
On Pakistani response after the UNSC decision was announced, he said, "There are elements being introduced to divert the attention from a huge diplomatic setback they have suffered".
In a virtual tongue-in-cheek fashion, the spokesman said: "Frankly they have no choice. They cannot welcome the decision, they cannot criticise the decision. In both cases there will be criticism at home".
"So only options left for them is to pick up holes, which they think exist. But as far as we are concerned these are all irrelevant details," he said.
The MEA spokesman said the UN notification is not supposed to be the bio data of Masood Azhar.
Answering questions, he said: "For us what is important is that he has been listed as a terrorist. And I can tell you that the terror attack in Pulwama did play a role in coming to this decision".
Earlier in the day, BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also spoke on similar line and said:
"The reason for which China has changed its stand; and countries like the US, France, Britain and Russia took aggressive stand - it is natural that Pulwama had a big role in all these".
UNI DEVN RSA 1731